Electronic prepaid services go to under-serviced communities

Kazang provides quick and easy access to prepaid services in South Africa and is conveniently located at outlets such as township spaza or tuck shops, phone shops or retail centres - giving people access to a variety of services wherever they may be.

One of its key advantages is that it enables vendors, who up until recently could only sell vouchers or scratch cards, to now conduct this business electronically. Electronic airtime selling is convenient, easy-to-use and safe (as there is never the risk of vouchers or scratch cards being lost or stolen). Currently, the solution supplies airtime recharge for the MTN, Cell C, Vodacom and Telkom networks.

Over the past two months, Psitek has built up a fast expanding network of Kazang Super Dealers, who are the solution's distributors and act as middlemen between Psitek and Kazang vendors. The National Independent Telecommunications Organisation of South Africa (Nitosa) has become part of this network and is set to roll out several thousand Kazang devices across South Africa over the next few months.

Ian Harrison, MD of Psitek (Pty) Ltd, explains Psitek's goal within the immense prepaid market in South Africa. “Industry statistics show that there are currently more than 15 million cell phones in South Africa, a number that is expected to increase to 21 million cell phones in 2008. A massive 90% of the cell phone airtime is prepaid, which reveals the vast potential for the sale of airtime and other prepaid services,” Harrison says.

The solution is not only about airtime, it is about prepaid solutions as a whole and, will soon roll out other services, such as prepaid electricity, insurance top-ups, bill payments and money transfers. This will make the vendor a one-stop-shop for the selling of a variety of services.